Sri Lanka’s youngsters have to contribute to take pressure off Sangakkara, Jayawardene and Dilshan

For years, Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene have been Sri Lanka’s mainstays. As the veteran troika is ageing, there doesn’t seem to be anyone who would take on the mantle. Nishad Pai Vaidya looks at the crucial numbers.

For years, Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene have been Sri Lanka’s mainstays. As the veteran troika is ageing, there doesn’t seem to be anyone who would take on the mantle. Nishad Pai Vaidya looks at the crucial numbers.

Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Tillkaratne Dilshan are the impregnable sentinels of the Sri Lankan batting. One or more of the troika invariably deliver to prop the Lankan batting. Their batting woes stem from their over-reliance on the experienced firm as the tyros haven’t shown the desired consistency. It is a worrying situation for a team that is at a very critical stage as the stalwarts are looking to pass the baton to the next generation.

Since the end of the 2011 World Cup, Sri Lanka have introduced a few young batsmen with the hope of grooming them for the future. Some of them have shown flashes of brilliance, but haven’t been able to sustain it in the long run. Here are the figures of the Sri Lankan batsmen post the 2011 World Cup:

Player

M

Runs

Ave

SR

100s

50s

HS

Kumar Sangakkara

54

2101

43.77

76.48

4

13

134*

Tillakaratne Dilshan

59

1914

37.52

82.53

6

7

160*

Mahela Jayawardene

55

1689

35.93

82.47

1

14

144

Dinesh Chandimal

53

1276

30.38

73.75

1

9

105*

Angelo Mathews

55

1121

33.96

78.72

0

9

80*

Upul Tharanga

42

1081

27.71

72.74

1

9

111

Lahiru Thirimanne

41

785

30.19

70.84

1

5

102*

Nuwan Kulasekara

49

451

16.10

91.29

0

2

73

This table proves that the bulk of the scoring has been done by the three senior men. Take Sangakkara, Dilshan and Jayawardene out of the equation and there is not much to write about the rest. They have hit 11 out of the 14 hundreds Sri Lanka have recorded in the last two years. Also, they are the only ones who average over 35 — which is generally the acceptable number. Sangakkara is the leader by some distance as he averages over 40 and has scored more than 2000 runs.

Narrowing these figures down to the games won by Sri Lanka, it becomes even clearer that the famed trio is the key to their fortunes. Here are the relevant statistics:

Player

M

Runs

Ave

SR

100s

50s

HS

Tillakaratne Dilshan

24

1066

50.76

83.87

4

5

119*

Mahela Jayawardene

22

988

61.75

92.76

1

9

144

Kumar Sangakkara

22

887

49.27

83.13

2

5

134*

Dinesh Chandimal

20

635

45.35

75.50

1

4

105*

Lahiru Thirimanne

19

409

40.9

80.19

1

4

102*

Upul Tharanga

15

378

29.07

76.98

1

2

111

Angelo Mathews

23

369

46.12

90.22

0

2

80*

Thisara Perera

18

165

23.57

121.32

0

1

69*

Nuwan Kulasekara

21

98

16.33

124.05

0

1

58*

Yet again, Sangakkara, Jayawardene and Dilshan are at the helm in this table. While the other batsmen do fair better in victorious causes, the trio are a cut above the rest and their class is there to see. What this table also shows is that Sri Lanka haven’t won enough since the last World Cup. In fact, their record is appalling for a team of their calibre.

Sri Lanka have played 62 ODIs since the last World Cup and have only won 25 of those contests. The win percentage is a shade over 40 as they have struggled to stamp their true class. This is a matter of concern for them as the three seniors aren’t getting any younger and Sri Lanka have to play for the next World Cup, which is only two years away.

It is time the likes of Lahiru Thirimanne, Dinesh Chandimal and Kushal Perera show more consistency. Perhaps, a promotion up the order may help in that regard as that may give some of them more deliveries to play. Perera is already at the top, but Chandimal and Thirimanne haven’t had a long run there. If the seniors drop down a spot or two and allow these youngsters to have a go on a more regular basis, it might actually help them. The tri-series in the West Indies is the ideal opportunity to do that. Dilshan’s absence may actually allow Upul Tharanga to cement his spot as an opener.

However, there still is hope that Sangakkara, Jayawardene and Dilshan would play the 2015 World Cup. Which is why, they may be backing them to do the job upfront and trusting their strengths.